District admin to provide facilities at Datta Peetha

The Chikkamagaluru district administration has made elaborate arrangements to provide basic facilities for the devotees who take part in Datta Jayanthi at Sri Guru Dattatreya Bababudanswamy Dargah from December 20 to 22.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Deputy Commissioner M K Srirangaiah said that the road work is being taken up. Places have been identified for parking of vehicles.

A contract has been given for distributing prasadam to the devotees. Drinking water facilities, minibus services, ambulances and a temporary hospital will be arranged for the benefit of the devotees.

Keeping the maintenance of law and order in mind, the ADGP had suggested the district administration to increase the height of the chain link fence at the tombs near Datta Peetha to a height of seven feet. Accordingly, the height of the chain link fence has already been increased. Security will be strengthened around the tombs this year, he added.

He said that the Bajrang Dal and VHP members have submitted a representation seeking permission for Sudharma Rathayatre on account of Datta Jayanti on December 12 and a Cycle Jatha on December 19. Permission has been granted for the Cycle Jatha.

As the police personnel have been deployed for the Belagavi session, it will be difficult to provide security for the Rathyatre. Hence, the issue has been discussed with the office-bearers of the Bajrang Dal and VHP, he added.

The DC said that the state government has already declared Kadur as a drought-hit taluk. An amount of Rs 50 lakh has been sanctioned to the Zilla Panchayat Task Force for sinking borewells and laying pipelines.

The MLA of the constituency is the president of the task force. There is scope for providing more than 100 days of employment under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in the drought-hit taluk.

The DC said that the local residents have appealed for the deployment of KSRTC bus facilities to Bababudangiri. There is a need for six minibuses to operate on the stretch. The KSRTC deputy commissioner has already appealed to the government in this regard.